The Kerala High Court has granted permission for three foreign crew members of the cargo vessel MSC Elsa 3 to go back to their home countries. These crew members can now deposit Rs 1 lakh each in cash instead of providing bank guarantees, as per the court’s relaxation of the earlier conditions. The crew had been stranded in India for over a year following the ship’s sinking off the Kerala coast last year.
The crew members, part of a group of seven foreigners seeking to leave India, faced difficulties in meeting the bank guarantee requirement. The court, acknowledging these technical challenges, allowed the deposit of cash in place of bank guarantees. This adjustment enables the crew to fulfill the necessary formalities for their departure.
Notably, the three crew members have not been identified in the preliminary inquiry report related to the ship’s sinking. They are also not implicated in the criminal case filed by the Coastal Police Station, Fort Kochi. The court was informed that a statutory inquiry under the Merchant Shipping Act is scheduled for July 9, prompting the High Court to defer further consideration of the writ petition to July 14.
The High Court had previously directed the remaining four crew members, who are involved in criminal proceedings, to seek relief through the Magistrate’s court. Two of these crew members were not permitted to leave the country as their statements are crucial for the ongoing statutory investigation into the MSC Elsa 3 sinking incident.
